On 21 February, Brazil’s presidential spokesperson Otávio do Rêgo Barros said that the government saw no risk of friction with Venezuela, following the country’s de facto president Nicolás Maduro’s decision to close the border, and that Brazil is focusing on delivering humanitarian aid.

On 19 February, Brazil’s justice and public security minister, Sérgio Moro, delivered his ‘anti-crime package’ to the president of the federal chamber of deputies, Rodrigo Maia from the Democratas (Dem) party.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 19 February 2019

On 18 February, Brazil’s presidential spokesperson Otávio do Rêgo Barros confirmed that Gustavo Bebianno was being dismissed from his position as secretary-general to the presidency in President Jair Bolsonaro’s government.

On 16 February, Brazil’s tourism minister, Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, announced the creation of a R$62m (US$16.8m) credit line to stimulate the tourism industry in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais state, following the destruction caused by the collapse of a dam containing mining waste last month.

On 13 February, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said that Gustavo Bebianno, the minister of the secretary-general to the presidency, would be dismissed if he was found to be guilty of embezzling funds from the president’s Partido Social Liberal (PSL) during last year’s election campaign.

On 12 February, the head of Brazil’s institutional security cabinet (GSI), General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro, denied that the government is spying on the Catholic Church ahead of the synod of bishops due to take place in the Vatican later this year.

On 8 February, NGO Amnesty International (AI) Brazil requested that an investigation be launched immediately into the deaths of supposed criminals at the hands of military police (PM) in the city of Rio de Janeiro that same day.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 7 February 2019

* Brazil’s national association of automotive manufacturers (Anfavea) has released new figures which show that 196,800 vehicles were manufactured in Brazil in January, a 10% fall on the same month in 2018.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 6 February 2019

Early on 6 February, the Brazilian government led by President Jair Bolsonaro announced that it would not be dismissing Tourism Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, of Bolsonaro’s Partido Social Liberal (PSL), after he was accused of corruption by local daily Folha de São Paulo.

On 4 February, deputies from Uruguay’s centre-right opposition Partido Nacional (PN, Blancos) urged the Frente Amplio (FA) leftist coalition government led by President Tabaré Vázquez to provide a full explanation over the claims that the de facto Venezuelan government led by Nicolás Maduro was trying to transfer money out of Venezuela and deposit it in Uruguay’s secretive banking system.

On 30 January, Brazil’s Economy Minister Paulo Guedes and the special secretary for pensions, Rogério Marinho, held meetings with municipal mayors and state governors respectively to hear their views and seek their backing on a proposed pension reform.

On 29 January, Salim Mattar, Brazil’s new denationalisation & divestment secretary within the economy ministry, said that only Petrobras, the Banco do Brasil (BB), and the Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF) would remain state-owned companies after the government completes its privatisation drive.

On 27 January, Brazilian authorities confirmed that the number of casualties following a dam break on 25 January in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais state, had risen to 58, with 305 people still reported missing and 192 rescued.

Development: On 24 January, Jean Wyllys, a federal deputy for Brazil’s left-wing Partido Socialismo e Liberdade (PSOL), announced that he was relinquishing his seat as deputy in congress and leaving the country, citing increased harassment and death threats.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 22 January 2019

Development: On 21 January, five attacks were recorded in Brazil’s north-eastern state of Ceará against public buildings and vehicles, including a school and a school bus, incidents which are being treated as part of the ongoing violent attacks organised by criminal gangs that have been plaguing the state since the start of the year.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 21 January 2019

Development: On 20 January, Brazil’s Vice President Hamilton Mourão told national news outlet G1 that the government would not be affected by suspicions of corruption hanging over Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of President Jair Bolsonaro and senator-elect for the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Development: On 16 January, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro received Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri in Brasília, the first official visit of a foreign head of state since the new government took over on 1 January.

Development: On 14 January, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro announced that retired army major Vítor Hugo Almeida, a federal deputy from the president’s Partido Social Liberal (PSL), will be the government leader in the federal chamber of deputies.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 14 January 2019

Development: On 13 January, the leftist Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) governor of Ceará state in north-eastern Brazil, Camilo Santana, ratified a series of laws aimed at combatting violence and organised crime.

Development: On 10 January, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed the appointment of diplomat Mario Vilalva as head of the export promotion agency (Apex), following the announced resignation of Alecxandro Carreiro after only one week in the post.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 10 January 2019

Development: On 9 January, the Brazilian press reported that representatives from around 50 national and international NGOs have addressed a letter to the Secretary of Government Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, requesting an opportunity for dialogue.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 7 January 2019

Development: On 5 January, 300 members of Brazil’s elite national public security force began operations in the north-eastern state of Ceará, providing support to state security forces as a wave of violence has swept across the state.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 4 January 2019

Development: On 3 January, University of Chicago-trained economist Roberto Castello Branco took over as CEO of Brazil’s state-owned oil company Petrobras, defending more competition and less state intervention.

LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 3 January 2019

Development: On 2 January, Brazil’s new President Jair Bolsonaro declared his intention of increasing bilateral cooperation with China and highlighted the importance of Sino-Brazilian relations after meeting with Ji Bingxuan, the vice-president of the permanent committee of China’s National People’s Congress.